Building a pool in your backyard isn’t just about excavating the ground where the water goes. It requires rigorous planning in the form of pool landscaping or “poolscaping.” Visualizing what your swimming pool should look like is vital if you truly want it to be your very own oasis.
Don’t know where to start? Here are some suggestions on how to achieve a luxurious landscape for your backyard pool.
Excavation
When excavating your backyard to build your swimming pool, you don’t just need the right plan but the right tools as well. The contractors for the job must have a backhoe loader, excavator, or similar construction equipment so that efficiency is guaranteed, and turnaround time is quicker.
Be mindful of the plumbing installation. You should also be careful not to tamper with underground electrical systems.
Walkways
Assuming you have the swimming pool already, the next part you’d want to build are the walkways throughout your pool area. The layout is up to you; what you’d want to consider, though, is the material.
Weigh your options based on perceived use and maintenance. Some of the best ones include concrete, natural stones, aggregate stones, or bricks. Whichever you choose has to be slip- and heat-resistant for people coming out of the pool barefooted.
Plants
The plants you choose for your pool area depends on your preferred theme, balance, color, and texture. To narrow down your options, remember that your selection should be safe and low-maintenance. The plants shouldn’t attract bees, have thorns, or have small fragments that can mess up your pool’s filters.
Go for low-maintenance ornamental grasses for starters. Vines and low-growing trees are great accent pieces while also providing shade and breathable air.
Boulders
Boulders are a great addition to any pool landscape because they highlight the pool area’s texture with their contrasting tones. Just make sure to use large boulders that don’t weather easily to prevent small pebbles from ending up in your pool. Ideally, you should place these boulders while there are still backhoes or skid steer loaders present in the construction site. This way, they can carry the boulders in place for you.
Lighting
Lighting is essential not only in setting an ambient mood but also in ensuring your yard’s safety by illuminating dark paths and corners.
Landscape lighting installed on the ground gives a delicate, deluxe appearance to your pool area but can get expensive. If you’re installing a large number of these, you can opt for the low-voltage kind or solar-powered lighting. If you have kids, you might also want to install a high-illumination pole lamp in a corner to light up the entire lot.
Furnishings
Last but not least, your backyard patio’s furnishings should fit your family’s lifestyle. Add anything you want — sundecks, tables, beach umbrellas, woven draperies, the whole jig. If it’s within the budget, you can even install a water slide.
Just make sure everything you affix to your pool area is, first, durable and weatherproof, and second, aligned with the theme you want for the whole space.
The key to a well-built pool area is vision. Run your ideas through every family member, make sure everybody pitches in, and refine it as often as possible, because once the digging starts, there’s no turning back.
